Indigenous Peoples

Retrieve and revalidate our indigenous and native roots to confront climate change issues and contribute to restoring harmony with nature.

To agree on measures for ensuring the rights of indigenous peoples in the negotiations, policies and measures to face climate change.

Main topics to be discussed by the group

What are the visions, lifestyles and traditional knowledge that we must recover and reevaluate from our indigenous origin to address climate change issues?

What measures are necessary to ensure the rights of indigenous peoples in negotiations and climate change policies?

Antecedents

In 1989 the General Conference of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, adopted the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention referred to guarantee their respect for its integrity, as collective subject of rights.

The ILO 169 Convention defines that are “regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from populations which inhabited the country, or a geographical region to which the country belongs, at the time of conquest or colonization or the establishment of present state boundaries and that, irrespective of their legal status, retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions, or part thereof.”

This recognizes labor rights, human and fundamental freedom of indigenous and tribal peoples, values, social practices, cultural, religious and spiritual.

On December 21, 1993 the UN Resolution 48/163 proclaimed the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. This decade tries to strengthen international cooperation for the problems the people will suffer with respect to their human rights, environment, development, education and health. Beginning with this decade, the International Day of Indigenous People is observed every August 9th. The second decade is declared by Resolution 59/175 in 2004. http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N94/089/77/PDF/N9408977.pdf?OpenElement

By means of Resolution 2000/22, on July 28thth, 2000 the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations establishes a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The forum was created as a subsidiary body of ECOSOC, and advisory body to review topics related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, human rights. http://www0.un.org/spanish/ indigenas /2004/res_2000_22.html

From October 28 – 30 of 2000, 36 Indigenous Organizations from throughout the Americas participated in the Continental Indigenous Summit. In this meeting they issued the Teotihuacan Declaration, which calls for the unity of all indigenous peoples to strengthen organization and solidarity to safeguard the rights of our peoples and future generations.http://www.cumbreindigenabyayala.org/ primera/teotihuacan.html

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues of the United Nations, during the seventh session from April 21 to May 2 of 2008 in New York, has addressed as a special issue “Climate change, biocultural diversity and the livelihood: the role of custody exercised by indigenous peoples and new challenges.” In which it states that the survival of the lifestyle of indigenous peoples depends in great part on the commitments and agreements on climate change. It indicates that indigenous peoples must carry the heaviest burden of adaptation and their way and of living, their food sovereignty, health, integrity, traditional knowledge, culture and their own existence are being affected.

On January 14th, 2010 the United Nations publishes the current state of world’s indigenous peoples. This report indicates that one the most important threats that confront the indigenous peoples is the displacement of their lands, territories and resources, violation and human rights abuses. http://www.un.org//esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/SOWIP_web.pdf

Projects and Proposals

• Indigenous peoples in the world summit in April 2009 in Alaska, proposed that the negotiations on climate change will maintain the spirit and standards of the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights.

• The IV Continental Summit of Indigenous Abya Yala, May 31 2009, proposes the construction of community plurinational states and Climate Justice Tribunal. At this meeting, they agree to make demontrations in defense of mother earth.

• During the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change, Copenhagen in December 2009. The Indigenous Caucus decided to present its proposals on climate change and indigenous peoples’ rights through the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales. These proposals are referred to the implementation and observation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, their rights of their traditional knowledge and others.

Proposes the full participation of indigenous peoples in the process and decision making on climate change. The rights to their lands, territories and resources, respect free and informed consent. To ensure their participation as holders of forest and land possession. Also, they called to take into account the rights of mother earth and all natural beings.

3 comments

I am delighted that in South America, democracy seems to have improved and resulted in the election of native Presidents, who realise the harm that the US, UK and other old controllers of countries have produced.
I hope that they are able to continue stopping big business stealing their native’s lands, so that they are available to teach us how to live sustainably.

In reconnecting with our origins, guaranteeing the rights of Indigenous peoples, and promoting traditional knowledge, we must also pay close attention to the role that gender plays in restoring harmony with Mother Earth. I find it surprising that there was not a working group designated to women’s rights when women are an essential part of the issue and its’ solution. Women, as well as children, are put at the greatest risk by environmental degradation, and are also an important source of traditional knowledge passed down for centuries within Indigenous tribes. Because women are often the caretakers of their families, they have a close connection with the surrounding land because their livelihoods and the livelihoods of their families depend on it. Unfortunately, cultures across the world fail to provide women with the agency they need to be active members in their respective communities.

Through collective action we have the ability to fight for the protection of the rights of Mother Earth and of Indigenous peoples, but we will only succeed if this action is truly collective. In an attempt to let the voices of Indigenous people around the world be heard, we must also be sure to hear the voices of both genders. After the World People’s Conference in Bolivia we are at the start of a global movement, and it is our responsibility from the beginning, not only to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples and Mother Earth, but also the rights of women. Wangaari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement is just one example of the power of female mobilization, and if we can recognize and support the capabilities of women, this movement will be far more successful.